me NaN Sb akend of the Five Rings Code of Bushido “What general or army can stand against the heart of a true warrior?” — Shinjo Iruko Legend of the Five Rings, The Emerald Empire of Rokugan and at er rested mars ™, @ 8 © 1908 Five Rings Pubishing Group, Incorporate. Alright served.Written By REE Soessee, Ros Vaux, Joun Wick AND Pat KaPERA OricinaL Drart by GREG STOLZE AppiTionAL Materiat By GREG STOLZE AND SCOTT GEARIN Game System sy Davip WILLIAMS AND JoHN Wick Cover Artwork: Brian SNODDY Interior Artwork: Cris Dornaus, Jason FELix, CARL FRANK, Tom Gianni, Francis Hocan, Scott James, Ben Peck, AND Ramon Perez Maps: Cris Dornaus Artwork Prepress: Cris Dornaus, Steve HoucH, SEAN THOMPSON Ling Error: DJ. TRinDLE Epiting: Par Karena, DJ. TRINDLE IntERIOR Layout: Steve Houcn, Ros Vaux Pat KaPERA Was only brought on to ferry the staff about to expensive restaurants, eat nothing, take copious notes about John’s obsession with the “Cake-E-BakeThing" and satisfy D,. Trindle’ demigogue fanstasies. REE SOESBEE Remembers the time when the oceans drank Adantis, before the rise of the sons of Arius, when there ‘was an age undreamed of She loves truffles, and wants her shoes back Ros Vaux Isa dog person who owns cats, which should tell you just how miserable his life is. Joun Wick Has locked himself in his office and won't come out until his brothers in the Ork Liberation Front are fred from bondage Legend ofthe Five Rings is © and ™ 1998 Five Rings Publishing Group Inc. and is used here under license| Fable of Contents | Introduction Part I: A Matter o¢ Honor Part Th Testimony, Murder and Lies... Bart TY: Deadly Ground The Way of the Mantis: A Prelude ..., Dyanatis PersonaeWhen you se italicized fext in Code of Bushido, that means that you are (ooking at ext which should ‘ye ead tothe PCS. Tis Information is for thei enfi deutling what they Jee how an NPC speaks Fora Be sre to look it j oer before you read i to the players, so that you Know exactly what is about to happen. Wuar 1s Cope or Buswip0? ‘Code of Bushido, the first of our new ‘B' series of adventures, is designed to test your players’ understanding of honor, loyalty and ethics ~ bushido, the code of the warrior. 'B” stands for Bushido, and all upcoming adventures titled with this marker will be adventures designed to test the mettle of your characters. Not their battle prowess, or their dizzying ability to solve court intrigue, but their ability to make simple choices - the ones that change your life forever. The story in Code of Bushido can be played as part of a larger campaign, in conjunction with Honor’ Veil and Night of a Thousand Screams, or it can be played Separately. Further, the next episode of the ‘B' series will be designed to follow up with some of the characters and situations detailed here, and can be integrated smoothly with the information given here. ach ofthe three mini-adventures in Cade of Buskido is designed to offer the characters roleplaying situations in which their ethics are tested. They can be run back to back, or with short adventures of their own between each part Further, each adventure is designed with several recurring NPCS and ‘hooks’ to easly integrate it into a larger campaign. We've added some the sidebars that will help your characters understand what the code of bushido ent leas for how to play a samurai living by the code. ‘This episode contains some tough choices forthe characters If they are magistrates, it will be easy to integrate them into this continuing scenario. Also, we have added some material to assist the GM in setting up the adventure ifthe characters are not magistrates. While you will find both combat and mystery in these adventures, their main purpose is to challenge their sense of loyalty. Be prepared to “ail in some ofthese tests ~ they arent winnable, Rather, they teach the character (and, hopefully, the player) where they stand when their deepest beliefs are on the line Bushido isnt about honor. I is about duty. Duty to one’s lord, to one’s Emperor, and to ones own, morals Sometimes, asthe characters will see, you have to put your own honor aside, inorder to serve a greater duty. Tue THEME oF Cope oF Buswipo ‘Arrunning theme through all three of the mini-adventures in Code of Bushido is “duty above all clse” There is no ‘right thing’ todo, no path which will safely guide the characters out of their moral dilemma, They have to choose where there truest duty lies. That also means that there is no Tight answer for any of these scenarios - there Is only the decision about where the characters deepest loyalties le. In Part One, the characters are asked to choose between the respected traditions of the Seven Clans and denying an honorable man hs place ~ even if that man is @ ronin. Part Two forces a decision between loyalty to their daimyo and loyalty to the Emperor. Finally, Part Three of Code of Bushido asks the characters to make the hardest choice of al: between true friendship and justice, Sometimes, the path of duty demands secrePart t A Matter of ono BackGRounp: THE SETSUBAN FESTIVAL Once every fall, the shugenja of Rokugan gather together and hold a great festival to celebrate the favors of the Fortunes and the wonders it has permitted them to view. The festival is held atthe Shrine of the Ki-Rin in the Phoenix lands. They gather above the Shrine of the KiRin to feast, poltck and compete in a grand tournament designed to challenge their wits and abilities. The winner of the tournament receives a cache of scrolls, gathered from all the major schools and monastery in the Empire. More than that, they gain the respect of their peers and the implicit acknowledgment that they are the greatest shugenja in the land. Traditionally, the Tsawa_ family dominates the competition, but enough non-Phoenix have won to make the prospect worthwhile for more than a few spellcastrs. In addition to the tournament, the festival serves a8 another excuse for the courtiers and noblemen of Rokugan to play their endless games. Shugenja may be holy men, but they are also sources of power, and power attracts men like flies to honey. The Emperor’ family usually attends, a5 well as daimyo from all seven Great Clans and quite a few minor ones as well Rivalries and alliances are forged behind the scenes here, and deals are made which can affet the future of Rokugan for years to come. This next festival promises to be an especially interesting one, for the Emperors niece, Okomo Yoroshikt, will be in attendance ~ and her uncle has just announced her eligibility for marriage ‘This will be enough to get some ofthe players to attend the ceremonies ~ atleast two of them i (ip) (both males) have daimyo interested in apolitical connection with the Hante. she were to marry a samurai under the daimyo’ banner, he would be assured of having the Emperors ear. Accordingly, the characters have each been ordered to attend the festival and court Yorosbiku With the intention of making her a wife. IF they do, their status in the clan will be secured Depending upon which clan the characters belong to, each daimyo will address the issue differently (Crab: The chief frustration among Rokugan's defenders is the perceived lack of support they receive from the rest ofthe Empire. Ifa Crab were to be placed close to the Emperor, he could procure all the supplies, munitions, and malitary assets they needed. No longer would they have to fight their battle alone; they could count on the entire Empire to always be behind them, The Crab daimyo will phrase this to the character in the most direct manner possible.Herbalism 2, Hunting 1, tation 5 op Spells Sense, i Summon, Bo of, ‘Castle of Water, The Path to nner Peace, ing Fury of Osan Wo, valent Protection of | Weapons: None. - Hlonor: 55 | Glory: 25 Advantages: Gaijin Gear telescope} Disadvantages: Never ‘ona Horse, -Awily, smart, and ‘putions shugenja, Taga has | Been assigned the duty of | ftir le alfeg of the journey. He 23 his responsibilities satbly seriously, and has never to et the out of his sight. ‘There is no pretense or masquerade hiding what hhe wants the character to do and why. “We need resources and this is the best way to set them. If you were to marry the Emperor's niece, you could be in a position to procure them when and where we needed them. Go, Play their ‘games, dance to their foolish tunes. But do not forget that brave men die here every day; by bedding this Hantei woman, you could help end the bloodshed once and for al.” ‘Crane:‘The Crane are not so much desirous of nother position near the Emperor as they are afraid that one of their rivals may gain an advantage against them. Yoroshiku is an asset that the Scorpion of Lion could make great use of; best to deny it to them by marrying her off to «Crane as quickly as possible. ‘The Crane daimyo will point out the Clan’s longstanding connection to the Hante, and the need fo maintain it through future generations. “You will be part ofa noble tradition, one that stretches back to the First Ones and will last for another thousand years. By taking this beautiful ‘woman to wife, 0e can further fulfill our duty as the Emperor’ Left Hand, and ensure the Empire’ prosperity under his glorious reign.” ‘The character should read between the lines that itis immensely important to the daimyo to establish this relationship. Dragon: (Note: Under no circumstances should an ise zumibe allowed to court Yoroshiku. ‘The fated men have more important things on their minds) ‘The enigmatic Dragon are always cryptic bout their motivations, and this situation should be no different. Togashi Yokuni has whispered dire warnings about the future of the Hantet dynasty — warnings which are only just now filtering down from his mountaintop. The more worldly members of the clan believe it would be prudent to have “one of their own” near the Emperor, to watch developments and perhaps intervene if the situation calls for it. They can think of no one more qualified than the player character “Tomorrow's sun prepares itself to shine, even today. So oo, do wise men prepare for the future, ‘knowing it will beat down om their heads” Lion: The Emperors Right Hand has often chafed that so many of the Hantei have linked themselves to their simpering Crane rival; the time has come to reassert themselves, Yoroshiku isan honorable woman and will bring great glory to this, the proudest clan. More importantly, however, Yoroshiku’s mother was a Lion, and the daimyo believes thatthe bloodline should remain within the clan. He will stress the honor of wedding such a woman - and therefore, the reason why only the Lion can be allowed to receive it ~ to the character: “She is the product of the tzxo most noble families in all of Rokugan. Pazning her off to some Scorpion or Unicorn eta is a dishonor we ‘cannot stand for. You have the courage of the Lion in your veins, as does she. Only you have the strength of heart to make her a proper husband” Phoenix: Mos ofthe time, the Phoenix do not concern themselves with such petty events as courtship for political gain. But the time and location ofthis particular courtship have changed things. The Asako family considers the Setsuban Festival to be the most important event to take place on their lands, and as such, feel the need to dominate it utterly. Everyone knows that this ‘womans fate may be decided here, which could raw attention away from the magical prowess the Festival represents. If her destiny is to be sealed on Phoenix lands, at a Phoenix festival, it is only fitting that a Phoenix intertwine his Iifethread with hers. The chatacters daimyo explains it thus: “They willbe expecting us, as hosts, to send a representative in search of the lady's hand. By ‘gaining it, we not only fulfill our duties as honor dictates, but we make it clear that petty politics Ihave no place here. The Festival’ agenda will not be dictated to us by schemers and sycophants” Scorpion: The Scorpion see Yoroshiku as an angle, and wish to exploit her as they do any other angle. Placing one of their own at her side will infuriate the Lion ~ her mother was a Lion, afterall, making the poor girl “thers” as far as theyre concerned and make the Crane nervous by creating a link to the Emperor that they do not control, With all eyes focused on the young ‘woman and her handsome Seorpion husband, the clan can make its real move unobserved. ‘The daimyo will imply tothe character that is duty as a Scorpion depends upon becoming Yoroshiku’s husband “Be our mask noble samurai. Behind you, we ‘can proceed with our duties unmolested, and ‘ensure that our Emperor remains safe from his enemies” Unicorn: ‘The Unicorn are newcomers to Rokugan and are still settling into their newPostion, Much ofthe clan's economy depends on ‘the maintenance of trade routes throughout the Empire ~ routes which they cannot always protect from bandits and other marauders. They have courtiers in Otosan Uchi to help in this endeavor, but no one in the Emperors own family. The le niece provides just the opening they need A husband of hers ean help coordinate trade routes around the busting Imperial capital, while ensuting that Unicorn interests are not thrown aside in for those of older, more entrenched clans "Our hooves have traveled far, so new vistas ‘are nothing strange to us. Otosan Uchi is an important plac, yet it remains on the far side of the Empire. We need to have someone there cho ‘an heep his wandering heart pure. a Unicom ‘were to be present in the city ~ or even better, in the halls ofthe Imperial palace itself ~ then we ‘ould ensure our many travelers of hawing a home anyeohere in Rokugan” ‘No matter what clan the two would-be suitors come ftom, their superiors will impress upon them the importance of making Yoroshiku their wife, She is vital link to the Hantei family, and it would bring great prestige ~ not to mention Some premium political connections ~ to any man who becomes her husband, ‘The other players will have more pressing. yet less complex duties. They won't have to worry about romantic rivalry during the Setsuban Festival, but will need to ensure that its most valuable clement makes it there. In preparation for the festival, the head of the Isawa family dispatches a caravan {0 visit every major shugenja school in the land and procure a single scroll from each. The scrolls contain spells unique to the schools from which they eome, and are not usually available to outsiders, The winner of the tournament receives the entre cache scrolls as his or her prize (@ bounty which even the most Powerful shugenja would covet. It usually takes the caravan several months to make its way to all the schools. During that time, it must be protected from those who would steal its treasure of knowledge for their own. Its the duty of every daimyo to provide guards for the caravan as it ‘moves through their territory; since no single clan provides the entire scroll cache, no single clan can be expected (e. trusted) to protec it fr the whole journey. A Unicorn daimyo named Shinjo Gidayu has been given the honor of seeing the caravan through the lat leg ofits journey ~ from the luchi shugenja school to the Shrine of the Ki-Rin in the Phoenix lands. The way i long, and the seroll cache will be full, so an attack from bandits or raiders is likely. Gidayu needs reliable servants ~ the PCS - to see the cache to safety. If the characters are all Emerald Magistrates, or other servants ofthe Hantel Emperor, he feels they are honorable enough to fulfill the responsibility. If they ate not magistrates, or have no other ties to the Emperor, then he will assign the duty to Unicorn PC — and ask him or her to use “rust samurai (the remaining PCs) to back him or her up. Gidayu will invite the players to his castle ~ located near the City of the Rich Frog on the castern edge of Unicorn lands ~ and explain what he wishes them to do over dinner. The PCs should feel compelled to help him: if not forthe clan or the Emperor, then for the honor that guarding the scrolls will bring. Shugenja characters may wish| MERCHANTS (5) EARTH: 2 WATER: 2 Perception: 5 FIRE: 2 Intelligence: 5 AIR: 2 ‘Awareness: 4 Vor: 1 ‘School/Rank: None. ‘Skills: Animal Alusbandry 1, Appraisal 4, Commerce 5, Biguette 1, Horsemanship 1, Lore Wiad Routes) 5, Sincerity 5, ‘one oF wo Craft skills ‘Amore, Craft Weaponsmith, etc) at Rank each Honor: 18 ‘The merchants are sinor members of the Ke amily interested in going fo the festival. They range Jn age between 20 and 40 ‘yeas old, and are dressed Jjthe modest finery that Delis their station. They are ‘aware ofthe caravans true ‘ature and understand the risk, but are not trained in feombat and will be of tile tse inthe event of attack to participate in the competition, and delivering the scrolls will guarantee them a spot on thelist For everyone, it will be a chance to see one of the reat festivals ofthe Emerald Empire. Gidayu himself plans to attend the festivities, but has no wish to arive with the caravan “like & ‘common merchant’ (He won't mention this to the PCS) He will eave ahead of the characters and ‘make much better time to the shrine of the Ki: Rin, He expecis to see them there within two ‘weeks. They wil be provided with papers placing them in charge ofthe caravan, and (i they lack other means) passes allowing them to proceed through all of the territories en route to the Shrine, ‘AL some point over dinner, the characters might ask Gidayu if his karo (assistant) might not be better suited to the task of guarding the scrolls Gidayu will reply bluntly: “Ido not have a karo. My kavo is dead” ‘This should signal the end of the conversation; Gidayu’s tone suggests he does not wish to discuss if, and any attempts to bring the subject ‘up again will result in a grave loss of face to whoever is foolish enough to do so. JOURNEY TO THE SHRINE ‘The caravan arrives at Gidayn's fortress from the luchi school within two days. Gidayu will be Jong gone, but has invited the characters fo enjoy his hospitality until they leave. The fortress is small, but contain a few amenities, ineuding a pir of rock gardens and a gorgeous hedge maze patterned after a similar gaijin structure somewhere in the far north. The players should have no trouble occupying themselves, and the GM is welcome to come up with any minor palace encounters with servants, bushi guards, etc, that seem appropriate. ‘On the morning ofthe second day oftheir stay, the caravan passes through the fortress gates. ‘They remain long enough to water the horses and take on the PCs hen move on as quickly as they ‘can, The characters ae fre to arrange themselves however they wish, and establish any sort of ‘order or routine for the other guards. They are in charge, and everyone traveling with them will obey them, ‘The caravan consists of the following Three wagons, filled with silks, spices, and other wares to be soldat the festival. The wagons are pulled by shaggy work ponies (two apiece), and occupied by five Unicorn merchants, to whom most of the supplies belong. They are aware of the caravans true cargo, and have volunteered to accompany it to disguise its true purpose. In addition, fifteen bushi guards have been assigned to stand watch over the caravan ~ the most that could be attached without drawing tundue notice. See the sidebars for their stats, Seven of the bushi are mounted on Rokugani riding horses; the rest are walking or riding on the wagon. They will all follow the characters’ ‘orders without question, and arrange themselves however the players wish to provide optimum protection. The scrolls themselves are kept in a large chest made of cedar and locked with bands of steel It sits in the bottom of the middle wagon, hidden under a pile of furlined cloaks and leather goods. The caravan organizers figured (quite correctly) that most Rokugani would be unwilling to handle animal flesh and thus ‘wouldn't bother to check beneath the cloaks to find the chest shugenja from the luchi school ~ luchi Taiga ~ has een assigned to watch over the scrolls at all times. He will stay within the wagon, even eating and sleeping there, and cannot be persuaded to move under any circumstance. He swore to his master that he would defend the scrolls, and would rather die than put them out of his sight ‘The path the characters will take to the festival runs along the northern bank of Drowned Merchant River. just outside of Lion Clan territory ‘The river is swollen with spring rains and dificult to ford, so the caravan planned to stay on its northern banks rather than risk the scrolls on an ilhadvised crossing. The road runs through unoccupied grasslands and forested hilltops before turning into the great northern mountains and the vale wiich holds the Shrine. The ride should be fairly pleasant, but there won't be much in the way of fellow travelers ~ the route is only used by those wishing to visit the tiny Dragonily (Clan. Lion and Crane roads tothe south are better ‘maintained and thus preferable to most. The journey will take some fifteen days, and can be peppered with as many or as few ‘encounters asthe GM wishes. The following two are provided as examples. Merchant Ghosts ‘The Drowned Merchant River was named so three hundred years ago, when a prominent Crane merchant and his family were tortured and Killed along its banks by a gang of bandits. Eversince then, the river banks have been haunted by their ghosts, who wander its length searching for revenge. Local peasants refuse to go near the waters after dark. Unfortunately, the caravan’s planners. didn't consider such superstitions worthy of consideration, and plotted the path dlitetly across the site where the merchant family were killed. ‘This encounter takes place in the dead of night, after most ofthe characters have gone to sleep. A posted guard (hopefully one of the PCs, although the other bushi will stand watch in turns ifthe players don‘ think of it) wil catch site of a faint glow approaching the campsite. The glow soon resolves itself as pair of harrowing figures ~ the merchant and his wife, glowing white in the moonlight. Their eyes are empty sockets and their faces are drawn with pain and horror. As approach the camp, they give a hideous how! in the shy: “Where is the blood of my children?” he sereams, “Where are the men zoho tore them from ‘me?* (The cry will awaken characters on a roll of 16), In answer to his questions, a quartet of smaller ghosts, tao boys and tzwo girls, will appear in the middle of the camp. They are exeless, lke their parents, and their small bodies are run through with arrocs and nage-yari. They ‘hold out their arms and rush ailing torard their ‘mother and father, only to hair will gain a streak of white for their troubles, and they suer an Honor loss as appropriate to their station (one or two for a regular bushi, five or six for a Lion samurai), Those who succeed ‘may interact with the ghosts as they wish, but will be unable to say anything to assuage them. The ‘men who murdered them died warm in their beds, and nothing the characters say or do can change that. When they realize that they cannot be avenged, the ghosts will rise into the ai. Their ‘moans turn to shrieks like those of their children, and as they vanish into the night sky, the horrible surgles of the drowned follow after them. Ifthe hosts are confronted with pieces of jade, or other appropriate holy items, they will vanish ina flash Done quickly enough, it will prevent the fear effects on other party members. Inadaition to any who were frightened off, the display is enough to spook the caravan horses. Any not properly tied down will panic and bolt into the night. Their fearful whinnies can be heard on the wind as they disappear. Luckily, the ground is fairly even and the waxing moon gives 00d light; none of the animals will be injured galloping through the dark, Any that have run off can be found the next morning ~ alter a few hours searching — in the nearby fields Before leaving, the characters may want to perform a purification ritual to honor the nish again just before they arrive. Their screams tum 10 agonizing screeches, then to a horrible wet gurgle that slorly dies down. The 120 parent ghosts will stand aghast, then ‘hold their hands out pleading to any witnesses. “The line of my ancestors ended with their ‘murder. The cries of countless unborn cannot be silenced with time, Tell me that justice has ‘been brought to their butchers, that I may finaly rest in peace” ‘The guards who first saw the ghosts, or anyone else who witnessed the demonstration from beginning to end, must make a Willpower roll at TN 15, or else run shrieking into the night. (With the exception of luchi Taiga, any NPCs. will aulomatically fil the rol) Their Guarps (15) EARTH: 2 Stamina: 5 WATER: 2 Strength: 5, FIRE:2 AIR: 2 Reflexes: 5 vorD:2 School/Rank: Akodo Bushi 1 Skills: Archery 2, Athletics 1, Bard 1, Battle Defense 5, Hando-Hand 1, History 2, Kenji 2 Weapons: Katana 5K2), Wakizashi (2k2), De-ky (as arto). Honor: 35 Glory: 15 ‘The guards ae low lev bushi attached tothe Emerald magistrates. They will ight valiantly to defend the earavan, but thei duties will change once they reach the Festival. They will not 'be under the characters! ‘command after the caravan reaches its destination,‘The Dragonfly have no shugenja school oftheir am most age tained in ‘the Phoenis or Dragon schools but have sent seeral of the members to ompete inthe festival, and [ar looking forward to the F) reneniton ther cian wi | Bibive there The Festival is Fone of the few times the Dragonfly are accepied as an independent clan, and nt a extension of the [Dragon othe Phoenix departed ghosts. Taiga will suggest so if no on else thinks of it The ritual (a variation of Blessings of Purity, known to any shugenja who possesses that spell) takes an hour and will prevent the spirits. from formenting the caravan again, Dragontly Castle ‘The halfway point for the journey is Kyuden ‘Tonbo, the home fortress of the Dragonfly Clan, Here, the characters will have a chance to sleep in a real bed, surrounded by protective walls, rather than the uncomfortable and decidedly unsafe wilderness. The fortress itself isnot formidable; in fact, t seems laughably small compared to the palaces of the Great Clans But is size belies a quiet power, for mighty wards have been placed upon its walls ‘The magie has protected them since the Dragonfly were founded; no enemy has yet managed to capture the place The caravan will be met by « Mirumoto patrol as it enters Dragonfly lands. The Mirumoto recognize the Dragonfly provinces as their protectorate, and assign a small percentage of their troops to help patrol the border. The patrols leader (a Dragonfly samuraicko named Tonbo Sako) will ask for their traveling papers and ‘purpose for entering Dragonfly territory. She will pointedly ask if they have any business or information they wish to pass on to the Dragon lands. Assuming everything isin order, the guards will then escort the caravan to Kyuden Tonbo, ‘The players will be greeted at the gates by ‘Tonbo Sodan, the son of the daimyo and heir to the Dragonli’s leadership. He is pleasant-faced ‘man with an easy smile, who seems to take an instant liking to the party. He will regale them cover dinner with amusing anectotes about his Dragon cousins, and entertain them with a group of sleightof-hand magicians. There is, however, a small snag to this otherwise pleasant evening. One of the palace shugenja (Miramoto Ekai) has not been permitted to attend the festival. In a fit of shame and jealousy, he has decided to break open the cache of scrolls and copy as many of them as he can ‘The fact that such copies probably won't work hasn't oceurred to him; i he gets them made, he believes that he will have access to the original's power. He knows the palace bushi guarding the box, and will be able to get past them without too much trouble, luchi Taiga will be sleeping nearby, but Ekat can move very quietly when he wishes, ‘He will succeed in breaking open the box’ lock and making hurried copies of three or four scrolls ‘before dawn, He will then relock the box and slip ‘outwith no one the wiser. Orso he thinks any players are guarding the scroll box (ke in the direct vicinity of the box throughout the night), they should be allowed to try and stop kai i they wish. Otherwise, Taga will notice that the box has been tampered with immediately upon waking, and raise a considerable stink about it~ first tothe guards on duty, then to their host. Sodan will be shocked to hear of such a ‘thing, and will make attempts to apologize for the incident. Taiga, however, will be so rude in his accusations, that Sodan’s humility will soon be replaced by anger. Who is this barbarian fool 1o rake light of his hospitality so? The argument quickly grows out of proportion, and threatens to come to blows,Its up to the PCs to step in and reconcile the two parties. This should be a role-playing experience, and the GM should judge success based on how well the players deliver their arguments. Taiga can be reasoned with by Pointing out that none of the scrolls were stolen, so no harm has been caused. Sodan will be assuaged. by complimenting his hospitality and asking for his assistance in determining what happened and why. Sodan questions the guards, they will quickly point to Ekai, The errant shugenja will claim he merely wished to see the reat cache. He will apologize for any misunderstanding, and beg luchi Gidayu’s pardon for his thoughtless dismissal of the Unicorn’s sacred duty. Under no circumstances. will he admit to copying any ofthe scrolls. Further development can be handled in any ‘manner the GM sees fit. Regardless of how the confrontation ends, Sodan will dispatch another unit of guards to see the caravan safely out of Dragonfly lands. “Bandit” Attack At some point after they pass the Dragonily lands ~ on the final leg of their journey to the shrine - the character will come under altack from a large band of what appear to be bandis. In actuality, they are merely ronin bent on achieving a specific task. The masterless samurai are angry atthe Phoenix Clan and are hoping to fake some measure of revenge by stealing the scroll box. The players, unfortunately, are in the ‘The land they have been traveling through has become increasingly hilly, with patches of trees and several deep vales between them. To the north, the mountains loom up on the horizon, ‘becoming larger with each passing day. Once they pass Souls Edge Road (the route to the Dragon Jands), they will encounter evidenee of numerous rodkslides, The land seems to grow more and more wild as they proceed. ‘The attack comes as the caravan passes between two wide hills. The pathway is constricted here, and nearby rocks provide good cover, while three nearby vales give easy escape for those who know about them. The raiding party consists of some forty ronin, plus a powerful shugenja named Koan, They will launch arrows at both sides ofthe caravan, trying to keep the party pinned down and off balance. They will not ‘engage in hand-to-hand combat until approached, which means somebody is going to have to charge their postion. Volunteers, anyone? Sits forthe ronin are in the sidebars. They are Jed by @ man named Niban and his lieutenant Tobuko, who have a very specific purpose for launching the attack. A Perception + Battle roll (EN 15) reveals thatthe attackers are deliberately trying to keep their opponents alive. The arrow volleys are intended as cover fire only, and the pattern of their assault suggests a diversion, not attrition. They will defend themselves if forced to, but otherwise will not cause any lethal damage. Whomever they are, they seem to have more respect for human life than most bandit. While the “bandits” ae distracting the caravan guards, the shugenja Koan will make a move for the box of scrolls Hidden by an Essence of Air spell, he will creep into the center wagon and search for it Before he does so, however, he will ‘ast a powerful Wind-Borne Slumbers, putting everyone in the vicinity of the wagon to sleep (player characters included, unless they make an Earth roll at TN 30). The only one definitely ‘unaffected by the spell will be Taiga, who will remain awake and alert when Koan enters the wagon. He spots the rogue shugenja and immediately launches an attack. Unless the PCS can intervene, Taiga wil be killed in the ensuing scuflle, struck down by Koan’s wakizashi. The bottom ofthe wagon will also catch fire (a spell of Taiga’ that misfires when he dies), and spread slowly throughout the entire wagon, The ronin will quickly gather up the box and make his escape, ‘No matter what happens, Koan gets away with the spell scrolls. He is using powerful magic to aid him, and will not let himself be deterred by anything, The players should be suitably occupied by the attack (and the smoke rising from the ‘enter wagon) to keep from following them. No ‘one will ire on a character or NPC attempting to put the fire in the center wagon out, further evidence that the attackers are trying to minimize injuries. The ronin bushi will break off once Koan has the scrolls, and will not trouble the caravan further. If for some reason, the players pursue the raiders, they will have a frustrating time of it Their path ts well marked, but ends at a steep ravine. The bridge across it has been cut, leaving the party to find another way across. It will take several days to do so ~ time the players do not have. They are due at the shrine the next EARTH: 4 WATER: 3 FIRE: 2 Aaiity: 3 AIR: VoID: 3 School/Rank: Shinjo Bushi 4 2 Skills: Archery 2, Armorer 3, Athletis 3, Battle 5, Commetce 2, Defense 1, Bquette 2, Hand-to-Hand 5, Horse Archery 5, Horsemanship 2 Hunting 2,lljtsu 4 Kenjutsu 4, Lance 2 Leadership 4 Lore (samurai bushido) 4, Shinto 5 Weapons: Katana 5KQ) Honor: 48 Advantages: Highet Purpose (ronin village), { harmic Tie (Kocho) |) Disadvantages: Socal Disadvantage (renin) As the leader the Ronin, Niban firmly beli in then and looks te their well His viens on bushido are somewhal cbse, which eas him > to mak some very unconventional decas-99 He let his home Cla ofthe Unio base ef were ot hanrable enh, now, he searches fond ‘something better. With the ~~ Vigo the Ninel Ie thinks he has found { 7‘morning; the Festival itself is scheduled to begin ina litle less than forty-eight hours. THE SHRINE OF THE KI-RIN ‘The characters are now faced with the unpleasant prospect of arriving at the festival without the grand prize. They have several ways ‘of dealing with the problem, but should continue ‘on fo the Shrine of the KilRin before doing anything. The merchants cannot be left in this wild land alone, and most of the bushi are anxious to reach Shinjo Gidayu and tel him what happened. The player characters assigned to court Otomo Yoroshik should also be eager to proceed; their orders contain nothing about going alter lost scrolls. In any case, they are close enough to their destination that they can come back and hunt the “bandits” without too much difficulty ‘The caravan will roll into Dragon Heart Plain overlooking the Shrine of the Ki-Rin about ‘midday. The festival participants are inthe midst of preparations: raising tents, preparing foods, and rehearsing the numerous ceremonies that will take place over the next week. Sreamers are festooned everywhere, and the smell of cooking rises through the air. Representatives from all seven clans can be seen milling about, talking in clusters, or conducting courtly intrigues in the numerous noblemen's quarters set up around the site, A group of drummers pounds out rhythms somewhere in the distance, while Phoenix acrobats rehearse the dance of a great paper mache dragon. The centerpiece ofthe festival isa huge circle littered with invocations to the Elements - the site of the great shugenja competition, ‘The Shrine itself stands below the plain, on a naturally occurring shelf of rock in the midst of the mountains. It provides a stunning view of the lands north and east, including the entirety ofthe Phoenix provinces. The Great Wall of the North can be seen quite clearly, marking the final barrier between Rokugan and the barbarian lands beyond. The shrine itself consists of a large white statue of a Ki-Rin rearing up to the north. Its visage is covered in flames and its eyes reflect 4 thousand years of wisdom. The rising sunbathes the statue in its light, causing it to glow brightly. A phrase has been carved on the pedestal: “Look to the horizon, for the visions there are the footsteps of the future” A prayer bowl and several burning sticks of incense surround it at all times; « small contingent of ‘monks cares for the Shrine year-round. While the merchants depart to set up their stalls, the players should find Shinjo Gidayu and report to him as soon as possible. It should take some time to find the tent housing the Unicorn lord. The characters will gain a great deal of attention from the festival participants, especially if they are sporting recent injuries or the bodies of companions (Taiga, for example), The erowds will part to let them through; their hardened ddemeanors will quiet the levity around them. As they proceed, observant characters: may have a chance to notie a few things about their fellow attendees. A Courter + Awareness roll (TN 15) is required to Tearn each fac; they should have only a few moments to notice them before the jostling crowds block them from sight. Some of them have bearing on later adventures; others are included simply as flavor, to be developed however the GM wishes. + The characters pass a Shiba lord (Shiba Himitsu, next in line for the position of Phoenix round and looking quite Champion), wanderi distracted. He bumps into people and objects with ‘muttered apologies, while distant concern ereases his face. Normally, this wouldnt draw undue attention, but the party passes him several times as they wind their way through the crowd. (Note: Himitsu is placed here as foreshadowing; he becomes quite imporiant ater on in the adventure. Under no circumstances should the players be allowed to kill or harm him) * A group of Scorpion noblemen have surrounded a small band of their Lion counterparis and engaged them in debate. The Lions look angry enough to come to blows, and the Scorpions seem to be walking a delicate line in their carefully worded speeches. There are ten Scorpions in the group: more by far than ean be seen anywhere else at the festival + The courtship of Otomo Yoroshiku has already begun. The Emperors niece can be seen commanding the attentions of two NPC samurai: a Crane and a Phoenix. The Crane is comparing her beauty tothe splendor oftheir surroundings, while the Phoenix works diligently in the construction of a haiku. There will doubtless be more suitors soon. I the courting PCs wish to make their presence known, they should probably do so fairly quickly, lest she get swamped by too many suitors, + There are no ronin shugenja present in the crowds, All of the competition participants ~ in fact al of the noblemen at the festival - belong to one clan or another. All of them wear their affiliation proudly, ether by sporting clan colors, ‘or displaying their mon. Considering that there are over 100,000 ronin in Rokugan, it would stand to reason that at least a few would be here. (Note: There are no ronin here because the Phoenix will nt allow them to participate in the shugenja competition. This has some bearing on the players’ current predicament; see the next page for more information) * A Dragon ise zum is in conversation with a Kuni Witch Hunter. Both Witch Hunters and Tattooed Men are rarities at the festival; they usually have Tess frivolous things on their minds. That two would be together and talking like this suggests that something foul may be afoot. + A small child seems to be following the characters around. He always appears at a safe distance, and seems well-versed in the art of concealment. They may spot him several times as they move through the crowd, but if they try to approach, he vanishes without a trace ~ only to appear again a few minutes ltr. (Note: the child, Kocho, has been sent by the “bandits” to keep an eye on the player characters. ‘Their leadership assumes thatthe party will come after them eventually and wants to make sure that someone stays close to them. See the next page for more details) Alter some time, they will come upon Gidayu's tent. The purple and gold banners above have been tied in strange barbarian patterns, while the tents are arranged in the Unicoms traditional triangular format. A fierce-looking_samurai-ko will hail the characters as they approach, and lead them to her daimyo, yyu wil listen to what the characters have to say and shake his head sadly. He was quite fond of Taig, and will be understandably upset at his death. When they are done, he will consider for a moment, then speak The loss of the scrolls is a tremendous dishonor, one wich taints the entire proceedings anyone is t0 learn that we do not have them, EARTH: 4 WATER: 3 FIRE: 2 Intelligence: 5, Skills: Archery 2 Armorer 2, Athieles 2, Commerce 4, Courier 2 Gambling 2, Hani-o-Hand 2, Hunting 2 ajuisu 2 Lnuimidation 2, Keajutsu 5, Lore (ronin) 5, Manipulation 5, Musi singling), Sinceiy 2, Honor: 02 Advantages: Blackmail (Adventure Three «may nol be revealed until then), Heartless Disadvantages: Driven (ambition), Social Disadvantage (onin) New Disadvantage: ‘Missing Eye (5 points) = No, depth perception (45 TN all attacking and visual Perception rolls) ‘Tobuko isa true ronin, at heart a woman who cam never kneel before another She likes the feedoun of being a wave woman, and despises the concept uf bushido. She likes to relaxes her, and she docs just before dong thins she cant turn back from, Lately shes been singing a lob RS WY a (andy 2. Aes 1 Gime 2 Dele 1 frearship 2, unin lon oe Crt atone or wo Heaps (csc fn? enh Reape: By Weapon skill. Honor: 25 Aavniogs: Jpliteprchable i __ Disadvantages: Social ‘Disadvantage (ronin) Rsckare te maseien yah under ibn iis ats fl mtvatos oe owing him, but l are | wine narra {little scruffy around the ees ey hae spent a pet Meine batding di age nearing and ng each ter te skills which they will need Many ten havea et da aes inte lige ofthe Nahin the scandal could ruin us. As those charged with it its protection, I fear that you may bear the greatest weight of the burden. However, there is Still hope. If you can find the scrolls before the ‘end of the festial and bring them back in time {forthe winner ofthe competition to receive them, then all will be well. As far as the rest of the festival knows, they were never lost at all The apprehension ofthese dogs wil allow you to save face, and erase the dishonor of your earlier failure. Do you think you can find the bandits sho robbed you?” Any character with the Hunting or Battle ski will have no problems saying yes. The “bandit were a large force, and could not have hidden their tracks particularly well. Roads in the mountain are scarce, and they would have few paths to follow, Furthermore, any Dragon players (especially Mirumoto) will be familiar enough with the territory to lead the party through. The shugenja competition will not take place until the end of the festival, so the players have a few days to find the scrolls Since Gidayu’s reputation ison the line as well asthe players, he sends one of his own samurai to go with them, Shinjo Iruko, the sarmura-ko who first greeted them, will bow to her lord and swear fo return the scrolls. How the players deal ‘with this new companion i upto ther Irako will pay them grudging respect, but already has a fairly low opinion of them (she silently blames the characters for failing Gidayuis trust), and does not want to be sidetracked by any of the characters’ other agendas. Naturally she will wish to leave right away, and wastes no time tracking down any wayward characters. Those who may have engaged in other activities (lke introducing themselves to Yoroshiku) will be quickly found and dragged off with afew curt apologies. At this Point, she doesn't care what the characters want to do. Iruko is in no mood for games; her daimyo's honor is at stake. The characters are coming with her, and they're coming with her right now. With Truko in tow, and the knowledge that their honor ison the line, the players are now free to retreat from the festival and hunt down the ‘men who robbed them. THE VILLAGE OF THE NIGHTINGALE i should not be too difficult to track the path of the “bandits” who attacked the caravan. f the characters pursued them to the bridge across the ravine they should have no problems (Hunting + Perception, TN 10) getting back there. This time they won't have to worry about crossing. the ravine, since they will be approaching the path from the north, If the characters didn't pursue them after the frst attack, then the bridge will stil be up. Starting from the site of the attack should enable them to pick up the marauders trail quickly and easly ‘The ronin struck and retreated through a wide spur of mountains to the west of the Shrine and south of the a waterfall called Firebird Cascade — no man’ land on the edge of Phoenix teritory ‘The area is quile mountainous, and the road perilously winds its way across the peaks. Acrophobic characters may have a hard time advancing in places where the road drops of precariously. Here and there, flat valleys can be seen between the mountains, marking several good spots for a hideaway. The trail is easy to follow; there is lite traffic in these parts and the path of forty men is not hard to ascertain, ‘A day or so alter leaving the festival, the characters reach their destination — a wide val green and fertile amid the mountains’ rocky gray. As they get closer, they can see buildings on the valleys floor ~ new ones by the look of them. A closer inspection reveals something peculiar. The buildings donot have @ military siye, nor are they the product of unrefined ruffians looking for shelter from the wind. Ths is no bandits hideout for crude fortress. It appears to be @ peasant village, a vibrant community in the mids of birth. Rice paddies are growing along the floor of the valley, while houses and other buildings are in the final stages of construction. Women and children can be seen periorming chores, and several beasts of burden work slongside of them. ‘There are even a pair of banners, displayed proudly at the village entrance. A mon in the shape ofa nightingale can be seen on the cloth. ‘The characters will be spotted as they enter the valle, but allowed to proceed into the village. AAlL work will stop at their approach, and the entire population (some two hundred souls), will gather to watch them. There are fifty ronin present, plus the shugenja Koan and his young apprentice, All of them are armed and fingering their weapons; some are taking up shooting positions on the nearby buildings. If the characters killed anyone during the raid on the caravan, the crowd will mutter darkly at theit